The Princess, The Time Traveler, And The Martyr
by HolehDyver1008
Summary: My First '"Real" Fic The once great and glorified hero, Sonic The Hedgehog, now sits in depression. Some of you may be wondering..."Why?"...Well...Everyone knows that being a Martyr is tough...but even more so when you're doing it for someone you love...Silvaze in the beginning, And eventual Sonaze. Rating may not be accurate.
1. A Martyr's Sorrow

(**_"Sonic"_**) These indicate when a character is speaking

('**_Hmph'_**) These indicate when a character is thinking

***WARNING* The following story contains mild depression and alcohol consumption. Read at your own risk.**

* * *

**Just wanna touch on a few things here.  
**

**Firstly, this is one of the first stories that I've ever written.**

**Secondly, I don't own Sonic The Hedgehog, or any characters in the series, all of the content in this piece of fiction belong to SEGA.**

**Thirdly, This story will contain depression and alcohol consumption, so if you're offended by any of these things, please click the back button and pretend that this doesn't exist.**

**And last but not least...The characters in this story will probably be OOC (Especially Sonic), so if you don't like that, don't read.**

**But aside from that, let's get this show on the road!.**

* * *

**Summary : The once legendary hero, Sonic The Hedgehog, now sits in depression. Some of you may be wondering..."Why?"...Well...Everyone knows that being a Martyr is tough...but even more so when you're doing so for someone you love...Sonic can only watch on in sorrow, as the love of his life, Blaze The Cat, shares hers with someone else...**

xxx

The Princess, The Timetraveler, and The Martyr.

Her beautiful eyes...

Her calming voice...

Her gentle laugh...

All of these things are the reason why I am so deeply in love with her.

However...This...fairytale match made in heaven, was not to be...

I glanced on from where I sat 'pon a bench, watching the object of my affections, run around with a huge smile on her face.

...The same smile that brought me to such a state of vulnerability...

I wished and cried to myself so dearly that the I were reason of her smiles.

...It seems that fate didn't agree with me however...

Alongside her, was a bright white furred hedgehog who looked identical to me.

Jealousy and resent was all I held towards him...

These feelings were always snuffed out, as soon as I witnessed the joy he brought to her heart.

...Joy that I could not.

"Hehe Silver!, stop it!" She let out a scream, as the smile that never ceased to make me weak in the knees, appeared again.

"No mercy for Blaze!" He let out a childish howl and lunged at her, letting loose a barrage of tickling.

I grit my teeth, and clenched my fists, to the point where the fabric of the gloves I wore, nearly torn.

If only...If only it was _I_ that could make her smile and giggle in joy and happiness.

If only...If only...

xxx

_P.O.V Switch : 3rd Person  
_

A blonde, human male was standing outside of a jewelry shop, a cell phone was what he was holding to his ear, happily chatting away.

"So Darling!, I think I have a great idea of where we should go for our honeym-" A man who'd been wearing a grey hoodie, roughly shoved past the man, interrupting his talk.

The man glared at the uncaring form of the person who'd rudely bumped into him. "Hey!, be more careful!" The man shouted at the hooded person. He didn't even turn around at the sound of the other man's voice, leisurely pretending he didn't hear anything.

The man scowled in the hooded man's direction for a while, before sighing and raising the phone to his ear again.

xxx

A little further along, the same hooded man continued to walk down the footpath. His hands roughly shoved into his pockets.

Suddenly, a drop of rain, followed by continuous rainfall, had soaked the mans grey jacket.

The man showed no reaction, he continued to walk through the rain, not caring if he'd catch a cold, almost as if the fact was trivial to him.

After he made slow progress for a while, he stopped at an apartment building.

He entered and saw a human female sitting behind a marble desk. She wore glasses that seemed to suit the blouse she wore.

She looked up from the desk and smiled widely, making the man remember the painful memories that he harbored.

_'Hm...good customer service...'_ A shadow of a smile made it's way to his face, before all signs of it faded as fast as it arrived.

"Do you need something? sir?" She asked politely.

The man nodded, "Yes I'm here to see..." He threw back his hood, revealing a deeply stressed and troubled being.

He had extremely dark circles under his eyes, making the usual brilliant green hue of his eyes, seem dull and uninteresting.

His blue fur seemed dark, and much wilder than usual, but most of all...Sonic The Hedgehog wasn't sporting the famous grin of his anymore. Instead, it was cold, depressed...and almost...lifeless frown.

"Shadow The Hedgehog...".

xxx

"...Sonic..."

"...Shadow..."

These were the only words that were shared between the two, once arch rivals, upon Sonic's unexpected entry.

Shadow was shocked to see the state that the once bubbly and annoyingly carefree hedgehog was in.

...Shadow had heard from Amy and Tails, but he didn't quite believe it himself, until the very sight of him, made the ebony anti-hero believe what they'd said entirely.

The former hero wore a scruffy, grey jacket with multiple holes in it, along with blue jeans that were torn and scratched.

"You look like...crap" Shadow stated bluntly, making Sonic scoff.

"I've been getting that a lot recently" He admitted with a joyless smirk, making Shadow smirk in return.

"You know...when Amy and Tails told me about your state, I didn't believe them at all...but now..." Shadow trailed off, making Sonic sigh in annoyance.

"I'm here about the job that Team Dark and GUN need help with" Sonic hastily interrupted him. Shadow just grit his teeth, "Don't interrupt me, faker..." Sonic glared at the ebony hedgehog, and the ebony hedgehog at he.

After a few minutes of silent warfare, Shadow sighed and grabbed the blue blur by his shoulders. Shadow gazed into his lifeless eyes. "...If you're in this state during the mission, I can't count on you, so I _need_ to know, just _why_ you're like this!" Shadow growled, to which Sonic roughly shoved his hands off and turned his head aside, as if he was ashamed of something.

"You...don't know what I've been through..." The hedgehog whispered through stinging tears, enraging his black and red counterpart.

"_I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH!?,_ I'VE NEARLY_ NOTHING LEFT_ IN MY LIFE, SONIC!, I THINK I 'KNOW WHAT YOU'VE _BEEN THROUGH!_" Shadow nearly screamed in the face of his rival.

"..." Sonic remained silent, making Shadow even angrier.

"FOOL!, I've watched the person I loved dearly, _die_ in front of my very _EYES!_" Tears began to gather in the eyes of the Ultimate Life Form, making Sonic's eyes widen as he remembered the death of Maria Robotnik, one of the few people that Shadow showed open affection to.

"...I'm...Sorry" Sonic whispered.

"What?".

"I'm sorry" Sonic repeated, sympathy evident by his tone of voice.

Shadow just sighed and wiped his eyes with his index finger. "...Will you tell me now?" Shadow asked a now solemn Sonic who'd took a seat on the floor, beside the door.

"...Have you ever had...romantic feelings for someone Shadow?" Sonic asked uncharacteristically, making Shadow tilt his head in confusion, before coolly crossing his arms and leaning against the wooden wall.

"...Well..." Shadow thought back to his time that he spent with Maria, before shaking his head reluctantly. "No...I haven't".

Sonic nodded and continued, "...Imagine someone who you would give your life for...Someone who you'd give everything up for, so that they could feel an _inkling_ of happiness..." Shadow nodded at Sonic's words, not having to have thought more than a second to understand.

Sonic removed the glove from his right hand, gazing at the peach colored fur that covered the whole of his hand.

"...Now say that you did give everything up for them...but they completely ignored this...completely ignored you...and this very fact makes your heart _ache_...would you be able to handle this?" Sonic's words left Shadow to ponder for a while.

Shadow, after a moment, finally came up with an answer, "...I'd learn to cope with it...as long as the person I cared for was happy, then I'd easily give up my happiness...no...my sanity" He spoke with true nobility, making Sonic smile ever so lightly.

"...That's exactly what I'm going through Shadow..." This made Shadow's eyes widen, as he glanced down at the still smiling hedgehog.

"W-Wha?" For the first time ever, Shadow was dumbfounded.

"...For over four years...since I was 15..." Sonic's smile faded into a look of extreme sadness, tears now falling freely from his energy-less pools of green.

Shadow stood rigid, absolutely shocked by what he'd just heard.

"...Who...?" Shadow asked regrettably, making Sonic's tears intensify.

"Blaze The Cat..." Shadow's frown deepened. He knew the foreign feline, and he also knew that she was with Silver The Hedgehog. A time traveling doppelganger of both Sonic and Shadow.

Sonic began to sob. "They...were down at th-_*sniffle*_p-park to-geth-_*sniffle*_-er" Sonic was about to continue, before Shadow floated an ice cold, can in front of Sonic's face.

"Sonic...have a drink...it...helps to...ease the pain" Shadow spoke with genuine sympathy for someone he'd once viewed with no respect at all.

Wordlessly, Sonic took the can of alcohol and cracked open the seal.

Shadow watched as the once glorious hero, turned depressed sociopath, drunk his sorrow away, drinking can after can.

It wouldn't be long before Sonic was out cold on the floor.

Shadow looked down at the hysterical hedgehog, and then out of the window of his apartment.

He saw the two culprits of Sonic's pain, and grit his teeth in fury.

_'It seems the most resilient of Martyrs...have their breaking point after all...'_ Shadow thought, before picking up the half awake hedgehog, off of the floor, and placed him onto his couch.

With one last glance at Sonic, Shadow hastily walked out of his apartment, determined to find a way to get Sonic back to his normal self.

_'I vow that Sonic shall be...'_ Shadow clenched his fists _'...A Martyr no more!'_

* * *

...**And this is the result of me listening to The Arms Of Sorrow (Killswitch Engage) While trying to write fanfiction.**

Anyway, if you enjoyed it, leave a review.

If you didn't, leave a review.

I welcome any sort of advice, be it by way of telling me "THIS SUX!", Or by calmly trying to help me and direct how I should write, either way...ALL IZ WELCOME


	2. A Princess's Confusion

_**("Sonic") Indicate speech**_

_**('Hmph') Indicates thought**_

***Warning* : This story contains depression and alcohol consumption. Read at your own risk.**

Disclaimer : I don't own anything from the Sonic The Hedgehog franchise, All the rights go to SEGA.

* * *

...I could feel a wave of an unfamiliar feeling flood my senses.

My arms and legs were numb, my vision was hazy, and I couldn't make out just_ exactly_ where I was, until I heard a familiar voice chuckle slightly. I began to try to lift my arms to a position, favorable to the notion of rising to my feet, when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I mustered enough energy to lift my gaze up at the culprit.

There stood Shadow with a smirk on his face and carefully hidden concern in his eyes.  
I groaned in agony when the sensation of being smacked in the head with a block of marble, all of a sudden assaulted my head.

A hangover.

"You know, for a first timer, you sure did down a lot. It's no wonder you have a severe hangover." I groaned again, while it was mind numbing at the time, which was exactly what I'd needed at the time, it sure as hell wasn't pleasant now.

"...What time is it?" I croaked out.

"1:30"

"In the morning?"

"Nope"

A third groan escaped from me, that meant that I'd slept over, because it was around that time when I'd arrived. And I know for sure that I didn't sleep for a few minutes, I wouldn't be this sore and bothered if that was the case.

Shadow let out a small chuckle and walked back into his kitchen to grab two pieces of buttered toast.

My mouth watered as the smell of the morsel reached my instinctive nose.

"I figured you'd be hungry. It's not much but...here" He offered me the plate with both slices on it, I couldn't register how fast I snatched it out of his hands.

I was about to shove the bread in my mouth, before I stopped and looked up at him for a moment.

"...Thanks..." I muttered with my fist thrusted out and up towards him.

I could tell that this was an action, foreign to his knowledge, as for a moment he simply stood there, gazing at it in wonder. I shook my fist slightly in impatience, before he realized and reluctantly met it with his own, "...It's...Don't mention it" I just nodded with a light smirk, before immersing myself in the small, but thoughtful and welcomed food that I was given. 

* * *

The Princess, The Time Traveler, And The Martyr

Pt. 2

The Advice of A Shadow & A Princess's Confusion 

* * *

P.O.V Switch : 3rd person

Sonic was sitting at Shadow's table, with a cup of coffee loosely wedged between his hands.  
Shadow sat opposite of him, Sonic had asked if he could stay a little longer, not knowing if he could handle being quizzed and interrogated by Tails when he went back.

"...You've experienced much worse than this..., haven't you Shadow?" Sonic had asked out of the blue, making his red-eyed rival scoff.

"...That's an understatement..."

"...Do you still grieve...?" This question was a painfully accurate one.

"_Why do you care!?_" Shadow snapped back, silencing the blue blur.

"..." Sonic kept his head down in silence and apology.

With a sigh, Shadow nodded with a "Hmph".

"Yes...I still grieve" Sonic looked up at the wiser hedgehog for a moment, as if to ask another question, before he dropped his gaze back down to the floor, not wanting to antagonize the mood anymore.

However...Shadow would be the one to speak up next, and the words that came out of his mouth when he did, are perhaps the words that Sonic had hoped he'd never have to hear anytime soon.

"I confronted Blaze yesterday"

"WHAT!" Sonic's eyes widened to the size of saucers, obviously shocked and displeased at what he heard.

Shadow however, remained indifferent, "You heard me".

Sonic reached over and grasped Shadow by his chest fur, pulling him over the table they sat at.

"You idiot!. As depressed as I was, I never wanted _ANYTHING_ like _THIS_!" Sonic yelled into the face of indifference.

"My goal was to maintain her happiness at any cost!, my feelings be damn-"

"_AND WHAT?!_" Sonic flinched mid sentence, having been interrupted by Shadow's loud and hostile voice.

"Do you want me to just..._sit by_ and _wait_ for you to die of perturbation and _depression?!._ Is that what you want?!" Shadow continued.

"No..."

"...To watch as you slowly drive yourself _insane_ and close yourself off from the world?!"

"_No!_"

"...To watch as you _kill_ yourself slowly and _agonizingly_, for some lost cause?!"

"**_NO!_**"

"...To...watch as you walk down the_ dark_ and _lonely_ path that I have all my life?"

"..._No_..." Sonic was now in tears, and Shadow, on the brink.

"Sonic...you _have_ to understand...that the obstacles on the path that you're on right now, are nearly _impossible_ to overcome. I would know, I still haven't gotten over Maria...and I probably won't, even on the day that I draw my last breath!" Shadow closed his eyes tightly in order to stop the incoming tears, however, some still managed to breach his line of defense.

"But there's one thing that I can do..." Shadow stopped and looked into the eyes of a broken spirit.

"I can _still help_ to ward people like you from this harsh reality..." Sonic remained silent after that, his sobs and tears died down, and for once, the former hero found serenity within his scarred heart. 

* * *

"...He lives in room 36 on the third floor" A friendly woman smiled at a slightly conflicted feline.

"Yes...t-thank you" A soft and calm voice was released from the solemn noble.

She gulped slightly, the memory of being confronted by Shadow had been weighing on her mind ever since yesterday. 

* * *

_*Flashback*_

_"...That was really fun today, Silver!" The cat smiled shamelessly._

_"...Yeah...it was..." A lax hedgehog replied, grinning happily._

_A certain lilac princess was walking through the streets of the friendly city, Station Square._  
_She wasn't alone however. Beside her, was a cheerful white hedgehog._  
_The couple had just finished a picnic in the local park, both expressing their inner joys with smiles._

_The pyrokinetic princess, and her psychokinetic boyfriend had stopped outside of an apartment building._

_"...I truly enjoyed today Silver..." She said, embracing the hedgehog lovingly. Silver was a bit reluctant with returning the hug, but she didn't notice it._  
_"Same here, kitty kat..." He said deepening the hug by moving his hand lower to lightly brush the fabric upon her backside._

_Blaze pulled away, a cute blush on her face._

_"S-Silver...we're in public..." She stuttered embarrassingly._

_"D'aww...My little kitty kat's getting all flustered...!" Silver smiled and turned to walk away._

_"...Wait" Blaze grabbed ahold of his gloved left hand before he did so._

_"Hmm?" Silver let out, turning back to her with a half curious expression._

_Blaze let go of his hand, and began to twiddle and fiddle with her fingers, nervousness apparent by her body language._

_"I was wondering if...we could do something like this...tomorrow?" As soon as the words left her mouth, she stared expectantly up at Silver, hope indicated by the gleam in her golden eyes._

_"...Sorry kitty..., but I'm busy tomorrow...maybe another time eh?" Silver apologized to Blaze, who's face had fallen along with her spirits._

_"I-It's alright" She spoke through a forced smile, the feeling of rejection, sinking into her skin and turning her blood cold._

_Silver gave her an apologetic pout, and a half hug. "I'll make it up to ya, I promise, but I gotta go now Blaze" He leaned down to lay a light peck on her cheeks. Blaze's fallen spirits had risen, as she watched her boyfriend open the door to the building, and then submerge within, as the door closed._

_Blaze brought a hand up to her rosy cheeks._

_'He...kissed me...' She couldn't help but smile suspiciously wide._  
_Her mood would take a backwards trek, following the upcoming conversation however._

_"...Having fun mindlessly causing heartbreak?" A cold and angry voice startled her from behind._

_"What?. Who..." She turned around to find a black and red lookalike of Silver to be standing there, glaring at her coldly._

_She recognized this person as Shadow The Hedgehog, an acquaintance of Silver._

_"Oh, hello Shadow!. how've you b-" _

_"Don't give me that crap!" He cut her off._

_"E-Excuse me?" _

_"...You don't have even the **slightest** idea, do you?" _

_Blaze was confused, she genuinely had no idea what he was talking about._

_"What do you m-"_

_"You so casually cause heartache, and yet you stroll around, bearing no idea of the mental destruction you cause" Shadow interrupted her once again with a casual statement, Blaze was starting to get angry._

_"You're not making any sense!" She got out between his dominant arguments._

_"...I really don't see what Faker sees in you..." He sighed before turning to walk away._

_She tilted her head in confusion._

_'Faker? who's Faker?'._

_She woke up from her slight stupor, before she saw Shadow walking away._

_"Oh no you don't!" She ran ahead of Shadow, and stood in front of him. A curious and determined expression ruled over her face and body language._

_Shadow didn't miss a beat, continuing to walk into her, bumping her aside._

_"...If you're looking for answers...mull it over in your mind, clearly and serenely...only then will you find any type of solution" He said these words without even turning around, continuing to walk off in the opposite direction of where Blaze was originally headed._

_This was one of the only times that had the lilac fighter thinking so intensely on words said by a fellow person._

_The Princess, was genuinely confused._

_*Flashback End*_

* * *

Thinking back on the cryptic words uttered by Shadow the other day, Blaze found herself standing in front of room 31, a few rooms down from where she was supposed to be going.

_'Huh...this isn't Silver's room...?'_ She was once again, in confusion because of this.

She, for some reason was drawn to place her hand upon the door handle.

Noises of glass clashing against wood were picked up by the always inquisitive ears of the feline.

She slowly twisted the handle and pushed the door open gently, the sight of what was inside the room, Blaze found to be very...disturbing...

There, sitting on the floor of the room, was a blue hedgehog who reeked of alcohol, with long trails of red blood running down his arms. In his hand was a broken bottle, the cause of his wounds, as Blaze made out the large fragments of glass that were lodged in the hedgehog's flesh.

On his face was an almost...peaceful expression.

This is what disturbed the feline the most...

Pt. 2 End

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**So...Opinions anyone?**

**Heh...Well, firstly, if you hadn't picked it up already, this is a Sonic/Blaze fic.**

**Whether the ending is happy or tragic, this is the main coupling, one-sided or not.**

**Anyway, if you liked this, leave a review please, I'm still evolving as a writer and would like to use your opinions to mold myself into an even better writer.**

**So basically...R&R or I'll tell Santa that you've been baaaaaad...(Plot Twist : I ****_am_**** Santa)**


	3. A Martyr's Pain & A Princess's Comfort

**Rad Dudesman : Well, I aim to please! (Or at least, most of the time I am)**

Disclaimer : I don't own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters within the series. All rights belong to SEGA.

* * *

("Sonic") "" Indicate speech

_('Hmph') '' Indicate Thought_

*Warning* : This story contains depression and alcohol consumption. Read at your own risk.

* * *

I couldn't think straight, the pain of the sharp glass fragments in my arms had overruled all brain activity.

...Now that I think about it, isn't that what I wanted...?

A broken bottle...the result of it's cold, wetness, which had caused me to drop it. Fragmented shards of a variety of sizes had shot up the moment that the bottle hit the floor.

...I should be discomforted...But I am not...

The _raw_ feeling of physical pain was just what I needed to ease my mind from the mental distress.

...It was too bad that the perfectly good liquid in the bottle, was now spilt all over the floor.

Perhaps this was the only con, among the unusual pros.

"...I should just stick with cans..." I muttered to myself, before the creaking of the old, wooden door had drawn my attention.

Almost immediately, I predicted that it was Shadow.

"...Did you get more drinks?"...No reaction, I turned my head to see exactly who was standing at the doorway.

A rush of panic, anger, guilt, and...pain, was what awaited my broken gaze. Because standing at the door, was the other-worldly beautiful cat that I would easily give my life for...

There, stood Blaze The Cat, staring at me with wide eyes, and a dropped jaw.

* * *

The Princess, The Time Traveler, And The Martyr

Pt. 3

"A Martyr's Pain & A Princess's Comfort"

* * *

"...Hey...I'll have a whiskey" A rough voice was uttered amongst the loud crowd of The Bat's Den.

A sultry looking Bat, with glossy lips, and the posture of a temptress, approached a black and red hedgehog, deep in brooding.

The bat couldn't help but grin as she glanced down at her long-time friend and comrade. She grabbed a thick mug and filled it with the contents that the anti-hero had desired. She firmly planted it down in front of his face, hard enough to get his attention, but gently enough to not draw other's. The liquid within the mug, sloshed around with mild-violence, before finally settling down as Rouge made conversation.

"...So..., what's the brooding topic today, Shadow?" Shadow had looked up in slight annoyance in the direction of the voice who'd disturbed his deep thought.

"...Faker..." Shadow stated simply, before grasping the handle of the large mug, and lifting it to his lips, allowing a small amount of the cold liquid to pass through, leaving a slight burn down his throat.

Rouge's eyebrow had risen considerably, as she knew that Sonic was a rare conversation topic when it concerned this hedgehog.

"Blue?. What about him?" She was curious, as always.

Shadow sighed, and waved his hand in an attempt to dispel the conversation. Rouge had other plans though, it seemed.

"It's too late now Shadow, you've aroused my curiosity" She grabbed a cup and filled it with wine. She took off her apron and went around the counter to sit next to Shadow.

"Hey!" She yelled out over to another girl on break, "Can you come tend the bar for me?. It's my break time." And without even registering what the girls reaction was, Rouge turned back to Shadow, an interrogating look in her eyes.

Shadow, who knew about her tenacity when it came to this kind of stuff, yielded immediately.

"...He came around to my place..., yesterday..."

"He did?"

"Yeah...And when I saw him, it was almost as if I was looking at a completely different person..."

"..."

"...He had bags under his eyes, signaling that he probably hadn't slept in a while, he had this...depressed...aura around him"

"...This is Sonic you're talking about...right?"

"Yes"

"...What was wrong...?"

"He said he came around because of the job that Omega and I needed help with"

"Big Blue...?. Working with you?. Heh, not in a million years..."

"...I'd noticed his depression, I managed to get him to open up..."

Silence...

"...He asked me if...I'd ever had romantic feelings for anyone. I replied no. Then he asked me to imagine someone who I'd give everything up for..._who I'd die for_..."

Silence once again...

"...He also went on about what I'd do if I did give everything up for that person, and yet that person I cared for completely ignored me...if the person completely forgot about my existence..."

Rouge remained quiet, a solemn look upon her face as Shadow went on.

"I told him that I'd learn to cope with it, as long as that person was happy..." Shadow's voice had begun to take a bitter and sad tone.

"...Then..., with a...broken...smile, he looked at me with lifeless eyes, and said in a monotone voice...'That's exactly what I'm going through'" Rouge's eyes widened just as Shadow's had, upon hearing the strangely accurate impersonation of a voice with no emotion.

"...Damn...that's..." Rouge begun, "That's not even the worst part..." Shadow cut her off, anger and resent evident in his ever resilient voice.

"W-What?" Rouge had sounded shocked, as if she thought that there was nothing more that could cause further heartache.

"...The person that Sonic is in love with, is Blaze The Cat" Shadow said, leaving Rouge in an even more shell-shocked state.

She knew that Blaze was with another, Silver The Hedgehog...And that meant that...

"...Sonic is forced to watch on, as Blaze completely flaunts over another..." Now Rouge's voice had taken on a sympathetic edge, tears beginning to well up in her eyes, for the sorrow and pain that the selfless Martyr was forced to endure.

Shadow gripped the handle of the mug with such fury and anger, his gloves threatening to tear from the friction.

"Sonic was tearing up so much...spluttering and choking over his own saliva..." Shadow grit his teeth in an attempt to subdue the rage he was feeling.

"I...gave him a drink of beer...and before I knew it, he was drinking his tears away, drunk, in his own pool of sorrow..." Shadow flinched as he recalled the pitiful sight of the once legendary hero, who's name now held no integrity at all...

A long silence reigned between the both of them, minus the loud ruckus coming from the Bat's Den populace.

Rouge eventually, spoke up to break the silence.

"...You seem pretty broken up about this, are you...concerned...for Sonic?" She asked with a forced attempt at teasing him , not being able to stand the air of negativity. The answer she got from Shadow, however, had returned her to a shocked state.

"...Yes"

Her jaw dropped, not in a million years had she thought Shadow would admit that.

"...He's walking down the same path that I am..." He continued cryptically.

"...And what path is that...?" Rouge asked with a tiny voice, making Shadow down a large gulp of the cold-but scolding hot, liquid.

"...A path of pain and regret..."

* * *

"...Sonic..." Blaze uttered softly, still in disbelief at what she saw.

Said hedgehog, hastily brought himself to his feet, "Blaze...!?".

She gazed at the mess that lay in front of her, "What...happened...?" She shut the door behind her and walked over to where the bleeding hedgehog stood.

He backed away, as if he was a child being approached by a monster. "...Please...don't come any closer..." He whispered, drawing stinging tears to his eyes.

She couldn't believe what she heard, and for some reason, her chest began to twist into a bundle of knots, guilt smashing into her, as if she'd been the cause of this...

"...Please..." Sonic's eyes were overrun by the rivers of tears he'd built up for over 5 years.

Blaze couldn't bring herself to say anything, instead, she was overcome by the need to cry too.

She walked forward slowly, making the Martyr cower.

"_No_..." His voice cracked, as Blaze gently pulled the beyond broken man into her arms.

_'...Does this have something to do with what Shadow said?'_ She thought as she carefully comforted the mess of a man in front of her.

'_Faker...Sonic...might that be...you...?'_

* * *

A certain ebony anti-hero was walking back from the Bat's Den, a 12 pack of alcohol in his hands.

Although...this time, it wouldn't be him that would be drinking them.

He sighed as he remembered his temporary roommate.

_'Why am I trying so hard...?'_He mused while kicking an old, empty soda can on the footpath, onto the road absent-mindedly.

_'Is it because I actually want to help Sonic?'_

'._..Or, is it because I see...myself in him?'_

Shadow found himself staring at a building diagonal to where he was standing.

He simply stood there, staring at the building, when he recognized a white hedgehog with wild quills, step out from the front door.

_'Silver...? What's he doing in there?'_

As if God himself had answered Shadow's thoughts, a female hedgehog with pink fur came out as well.

_'Amy?...What's going on __h_-' His trail of thought stopped at a dead-end, when he saw the two of them share a kiss.

It was brief, but Shadow had seen it all.

Fury at the white psychokinetic was unleashed within Shadow, as he waited for the perfect moment to confront Silver.

* * *

Sonic sat there with a frozen heart. A heart that even the warm arms of Blaze couldn't warm.

Blaze had, for unknown reasons to both, embraced him and began to shed tears just as he.

Sonic wanted to scream at himself. _'PUSH HER AWAY!. DON'T INDULGE YOURSELF IN FALSE HOPE!'._ However, the feeling of being embraced by the person he deeply admired, no matter how...false, the feeling was, it was a feeling that he hadn't felt in a long time.

"Sonic...why...?" She asked, through the sobs and sniffles.

"...Because..." He began with that lifeless voice. "...Being a Martyr is hard Blaze. Especially for the person you love..." He finished with the same tone.

Blaze flinched at the hedgehog's tone of voice, and his words confused her even more.

"Sonic...what...happened...to you?" She pulled back from the embrace to stare into the eyes of which were drained of life and emotion.

Sonic just remained silent, gazing into her own eyes, like a...statue.

"...5 years ago...My heart was savagely ripped out by an almost angelic being..." He whispered, as pain found it's way through his vocal chords.

Never before, had Blaze ever heard such scarring words...

* * *

**Next chappy will focus more on Silver, Sonic & Blaze.**

I don't really have anything else to say so...

**Peace Out.**


	4. A Time Traveler's Realization

**The Shadows Rider :  
Lol yeah, I started writing fanfiction on DA as practice, but when this came to mind I thought that it would be a good gateway story into . I apologize for the OOC-ness, I tend to do this a lot in when I write, as it's either "Extremely OOC" or "Extremely accurate". And don't worry about the cliché "Lame excuse", I always try to avoid bashing characters as much as I can. I don't even dislike Silver to be honest, I just figured he'd play the part of the "Dishonest Boyfriend" quite well. Overall, thanks for pointing that stuff out. Hopefully, I'll be able to get the characters back on track towards the end. **  
**PS. It's gonna be Christmas soon! (quadruple yay)**

* * *

("Sonic") "" Indicate speech

_('Hmph') '' Indicate Thought_

**Disclaimer : I don't own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters within the series. All rights belong to SEGA.**

* * *

***Warning* : This story contains depression and alcohol consumption. Read at your own risk.**

* * *

_"...5 years ago...My heart was savagely ripped out by an almost angelic being..."_

...Why did I just say that...?

Now I'm looking at perhaps the most heartbreaking sight in my life...

Blaze was crying.

I hardly knew anything about consoling people, but for her, I'd try...

I could feel the way she turned rigid, as I gently ran my hand up and down her spine.

She soon relaxed however, resting her head upon my shoulder, letting her tears flow.

It was almost a dream for me, but something told me that it wasn't.

However, as they say...all good things...must come to an end.

After a blissful moment, she gently pulled away from me, and with a glance down at my injured arms, she wobbly got back to her feet.

I almost felt like smiling.

For _once_ it was _I_ that she glanced at with concern. Although it seems pathetic, Blaze...is really...one of the only reasons that I remain sane.

It's all worth it, when she _smiles_.

"...We should get those shards out..." She whispered with that harsh, but at the same time, gentle voice I fell in love with.

I was about to get to my feet, before I felt her hand pressed on my shoulder.

"...Don't..." Was all she needed to say, before I complied wordlessly.

I saw her looking back and forth, around the apartment.

"What are you...looking for?" I managed to croak out with a voice that made her flinch.

I guess she still hadn't adjusted to it...

"...A first aid kit" She said quietly. It seemed as though she thought that if she spoke louder, she'd be a disturbance.

"Over there, it's in the bathroom" I pointed out, to which she nodded, and turned to go retrieve it.

I looked out the window and up to the moon with the hint of a smile.

...Perhaps, after all these years, Lady Luck was finally taking pity on me...

* * *

The Princess, The Time Traveler, And The Martyr

Pt. 3

"The Time Traveler's Realization"

* * *

_P.O.V Switch : 3rd Person_

_'Life is gooood...'_ Thought one, Silver The Hedgehog, as he just finished visiting a 'Friend' of his.

On first glance, what he'd done should be considered disgraceful, but the truth was, he didn't really harbor any true feelings for Blaze.

He was doing, as he thought, a noble act by maintaining an illusion that he returned her feelings. When in truth, he did no such thing.

_'After all...what Blaze doesn't know, won't hurt her...'_

Still, that didn't stop him from feeling guilty.

While he didn't have any romantic feelings for the feline, he still cared about her. But just not as most thought he did.

Overall, it had been a good day for the psychokinetic. That is...until now.

"...So...you're with Amy now hm?" Silver nearly jumped 20 feet into the air, obviously not expecting that.

Silver turned back around to find that a certain ebony anti-hero, was standing there, glaring hard at the psychokinetic.

"...Uh...Shadow!. It's a surprise seeing you here!" The white hedgehog spoke with badly hidden nervousness.

"...I live in the same apartment building that you do, idiot..." Shadow _almost_ felt like laughing. Silver really did suck at acting.

Silver began to sweat.

He wasn't a fool, he knew that Shadow was aware of his relationship with Blaze.

"...Um...Yeah!, anyway, I gotta hurry back!, seeya!" Silver said before he turned back around, eager to get away from the always observant, Shadow.

Shadow was having none of that, grabbing Silver by the forearm, stopping the hedgehog's retreat.

"...How can you be so_ ignorant?_" Shadow spat out, harshly crushing Silver's arm in unconstrained fury.

Silver thrashed around, trying to break Shadow's grip on him. "What's your damn problem!?" Silver wrenched his arm back, making Shadow let go.

The black and red hedgehog glared daggers at Silver.

"_My problem is you!_" He spat out.

"Why?!"

"Because you're playing with her heart!"

Silver's eyes widened, his suspicions were correct.

"You...know...about..." Silver began, the guilt of his actions finally catching up to him.

"Yes..._I know..._" Shadow harshly shoved past him, his intentions clear to Silver.

"No..._No..._, you'll break her _heart!_"

"...Kind of like how you two broke Sonic's" Shadow stopped and turned back.

Time seemed to freeze, Silver's eyes had widened to an unbelievable measure, realization of what Shadow had said, setting in for the psychokinetic.

"W-Wha...?" He uttered as if he didn't hear what was just revealed.

"You really don't know...do you?"

"..."

"For _FIVE YEARS,_ Sonic had played the Martyr for you and her, suppressing his feelings for the girl that_ YOU BETRAYED_!" Shadow screamed the last part in Silver's face. The psychokinetic now looking at the ground in shame.

"His...feelings...?"

"_Yes!_. Sonic had given up _EVERYTHING_ for her!" Images of Sonic drinking heavily, had filled Shadow's mind.

"...I-"

"...You two broke him, Silver..."

"I...I-"

"...And you didn't stop there, no, now your lies are going to lead to another heartbreak!"

"I'm so-"

"I hope you're happy with yourself...causing all of this pain and sufferi-"

"_I'M SORRY!_. Okay!?" Silver snapped, anger and repression leaking from his guilty tone.

Shadow just growled. "_Okay!?, OKAY?!,_ Silver, because of your irresponsibility, a hero's spirit was broken, and the woman he cares for, is clinging on to the false hopes that _YOU_ gave her!"

"...What do you expect me to do?!"

"Tell the _truth_ for once damn it!" These words played a part in the awakening of Silver.

He realized that Shadow was right.

No matter how painful, no matter how much it will hurt her. The truth is the only thing that will cure the imbalance of the situation.

He knew what needed to be done in order to set things right...

Blaze...needed to know the truth.

* * *

In silence, Blaze had tended to Sonic's wounds. Gently, but firmly, she managed to pull every sharp shard from his peach-colored arms.

Sonic had zoned off for the umpteenth time that day, contemplating recent events with brittle thoughts.

_'Shadow's taking awhile...'_ He thought, as he absently moved his bandaged right arm, to gently nudge the other.

Blaze noticed this and lightly pushed his arm away, a deathly concerned expression glazing over Sonic's emotionless face.

"Sonic...Please don't do that..., it makes it harder to..." She found that her voice became inaudible, as she saw a strange smile appear on the Martyr's face.

"...You're over concerning yourself with me, I'm fine...it was just an accident after all..." He spoke in a comforting tone. A tone that shot shivers down the feline's spine.

She violently shook her head, startling the stationary hedgehog. "It's not that Sonic..." At this, Sonic's ears shot up in interest, obviously surprised.

"...It's that you were _smiling..._" Sonic's smile vanished just as quickly as it appeared.

He began to frown in anger at himself. i'You fool...she knows that something's up now...'/i

"...I guess it's because I found the fact that something so...mundane as a bottle had caused such an injury...amusing" He stated with a forced chuckle that he hoped was enough to dispel her concerns.

Sadly, it did nothing to soothe her troubles

"...I...didn't know that you were a drinker..." She punctuated this by screwing up her nose, the liquid that had splashed up onto Sonic, gave him a strong, alcoholic musk.

Sonic then let out an honest chuckle, leaving a strange feeling in his chest. It made sense after all, having forgotten almost all feelings of happiness long ago.

"Well...I can only stress so much on the fact that alcohol does help me in...rough...times..." His happy feeling fading as he trailed off towards the end of the sentence.

Silence reigned once again over the two former close friends.

Blaze found herself carefully looking Sonic up and down, almost as if she thought that her gaze would shatter him.

"...How's Silver...?" Sonic didn't know why he was asking this.

Blaze's head snapped up, as she was woken from her daydreaming-like state.

"He's...fine..." She spoke dejectedly. Sonic looked at her with an intrigued expression, why did she sound sad?.

"...What about you?" Sonic looked her in the eye, and for a second, Blaze spotted sincere concern in his drained eyes.

"I...I'm confused..." She sighed.

"...Why?"

"It's...It's because Silver seems so...distant as of late..."

"..."

"Almost as if...he no longer lov-" Sonic silenced her when he placed a finger in front of her lips, signaling that he didn't need to hear anymore.

"...You have nothing to worry about...!" Blaze couldn't hold in a gasp. Sonic's fired up voice startling her considerably.

"...Are you su-"

"_Yes._..Silver _does_ return your feelings, Blaze. So don't stress out about it, it's unhealthy" He finished with a light smile, playing coyly on his lips.

"..." Blaze found herself smiling from ear to ear, but not from Sonic's reassurance.

But because of the fact that Sonic was truly smiling.

As they sat there in comfortable silence, Blaze realized one thing.

_'...What is this warmth within me...?'_ She absently put her right hand to her heart, before a shocking revelation presented itself in front of her eyes.

_'...It can't be...My heart...it cannot truly desire...Sonic...can it?'_

Silver could only stare at the apartment building's entrance door.

His mind blank, and sore, from contemplating a certain red-eyed hedgehog's words.

_'...I've been such a jackass this whole time...'_ He thought with a sigh, the clouds swirling above, now pouring rain down on the ashamed psychokinetic.

His thoughts were interrupted however, as a purple robed cat came crashing into him. She was in a rush to exit the building, it seemed.

The cat looked up at the person with an apologetic expression.

"Oh my gosh!, I'm so sorry!" She spluttered as Silver's eyes widened.

'_Blaze...? what's she doing here...'_

He simply waved his hand in a nonchalant matter.

"Heh...no need to worry about it, Blaze" She gasped in horror as Silver spoke these words.

"S-Sil-ver" She seemed to choke with a voice, laced with guilt and tears.

This confused Silver to no end.

"Why are y-"

"I'm sorry...I'm _so SORRY_" She screamed before sprinting off past Silver, bumping him aside, bewildering him even more.

"BLAZE WAIT!" He shouted at her retreating figure, before another familiar voice was uttered.

"It's my fault..." Silver turned back to the door, to see a blue hedgehog wearing a ragged grey jacket.

"S...onic?" Silver couldn't believe his eyes, the hero he knew and the Sonic he saw in front of him now were incomparable.

Then, slowly, the white psychokinetic remembered Shadow's words.

_"You two broke him, Silver"_

Silver could only stand there, frozen at both the sight, and situation.

Sonic walked past the frozen hedgehog, and as he did, he said something that was barely inaudible, but rocked the psychokinetic to his core.

"...She needs your comfort Silver, your embrace...Because it seems...as always...mine...is never enough"

And this was how three troubled souls came together.

A Princess, A Time Traveler, And A Martyr.

* * *

**I'm getting a 2DS and Pokemon X tomorrow as an early Xmas present from dad, W00T!**

Uh...Sorry about that ^^

Anyway, I don't have much to say, as always...so...

I'm outro! Bye!


	5. A Martyr's Understanding

Disclaimer : I don't own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters within the series. All rights belong to SEGA.

***Warning* : This story contains depression and alcohol consumption. Read at your own risk.**

* * *

("Sonic") "" Indicate speech

_('Hmph') '' Indicate Thought_

* * *

Cold and icy, was the mug which held the antidote to my sorrows.

I sighed and took a large swig of the alcoholic beverage, it left a slight burn down my throat, as I released large belch afterwards, causing a certain temptress to giggle slightly.

I lifted my head to stare into the eyes of an amused bat. Rouge was standing there, a huge smile on her face due to my actions.

"...I never figured you for an alcoholic, Blue. Apparently I was wrong wasn't I?" She spoke with an amused smile, before taking my empty mug and refilling it with beer.

"Tch...You don't know the half of it..." I snickered humorlessly before taking another large gulp of the cool liquid.

She just chuckled openly, throwing the cleaning cloth over her shoulder without a care.

I watched as she casually poured herself a glass of wine, then come around to sit on the stool next to mine.

"Heh...didn't you just finish your break?" I asked in an amused voice, she simply gestured to the empty, and dead silent bar called the Bat's Den.

"...Fair enough" I didn't have to look in her direction to know that she was smirking.

"...You know, ever since you showed up here last week, the Den's been rather silent" My hands tightened around the glass handle straight when I heard the words 'Last Week'...

I thought back to what happened on this day, exactly 7 days ago...

* * *

_Flashback  
_

_I remember staring into a face that defined horror and guilt._

_Blaze looked like she had seen a ghost._

_I gazed at her with concern written all over my previously, blank face._

_"Blaze...are you okay?" I asked..._

_No reaction._

_I reached out with my bandaged arm to grasp her shoulder when she slapped it away violently._

_My eyes widened as I shot back in shock._

_"B-Blaz-"_

_"...Why...?" She interrupted me._

_If possible, my eyes seemed to widen even more, though this time not in shock._

_"P-Pardon?"_

_"Why do you care so much for me...Sonic?"_

_"I...you...you're my...friend aren't you?, friends are supposed to care for each oth-"_

_"That's not what I meant and you know it!" She shouted in anger, effectively shutting my mouth._

_"..." I was at a loss for words, my voice just didn't seem to work at all._

_"...Don't you dare say it...I'm in a relationship Sonic...you **KNOW THAT!**"_

_"..." Still, I couldn't manage to say anything, each passing second, engrossed my heart with unimaginary pain._

_"...Well?, are you just going to sit there!? **ANSWER M-**"._

_"...If I can't say it, then why are you asking...?" I interrupted with a brittle voice._

_My vision was blurred by the lake of tears that began to overflow, and pour down my already damp cheeks._

_"...I've maintained the illusion of being content for five straight years, and all that time, you never noticed a thing..." I continued, for some reason, even the action of crying had not stopped my voice from coming out clear. Cold and emotionless, but clear._

_"...So...you...have feelings for m-"_

_"...It shattered me you know..." I focused a steely glare deep into her pools of gold._

_"W-Wha-"_

_"I was forced to just...sit by for **five years**, while you pretended that I didn't even **exist**..." My glare was replaced by a self loathing gaze._

_"...I-"_

_"Heh...'spose it was my own **damn** fault anyway...me and my stupid passionate, clinginess towards feelings that you'd never return..." I let out a hollow chuckle, before I pushed myself up, off of the floor. Wobbling as I attempted to steady myself._  
_It seems that the dozens of cans of alcohol had did a number on me, both emotionally and physically._

_Blaze shot up the instant that I was on my feet, reaching out to help me steady myself._

_"**Don't**" I spat out with disgust, though not at her. Disgust at me, myself, and my stupid heart..._

_She shot back a few inches, her lips quivering with fragility, obviously shocked at my reaction, I just "Tch'd" and wordlessly shoved my finger towards the door._

_"...Go...run back to your **prince** like you always do..."_

_All that followed was a sniffle, and the scrambling of rushed steps towards the exit of the room._

_I found myself gazing at her retreating form. That was when I spotted the glitter of a tear that had fallen from her guilt-ridden eyes._

_Before I knew it, I had reached out to grasp the falling droplet._

_Disappointment was all that fueled me, upon coming into contact with the drop of liquid, as the tear had exploded on impact, soaking my bare hand in her sadness._

_One thought was dominating my mind at that moment._

_'...I'm going insane...'_

_Flashback End_

* * *

"...It's an omen, don't you think?" I heard a voice say jokingly. I simply remained silent, almost as if I didn't hear it.

I remained like this for a moment, before I felt a slim and lithe elbow poke me obnoxiously.

I snapped out of my stupor, and looked up at the personal-space-intruder.

"...Did'ya zone out there for a sec or somethin'?" Rouge asked me with a combination of an amused and concerned expression.

I found myself chuckling stupidly for a moment, before I began to laugh my butt off for no apparent reason.

It was lucky that it was only me and Rouge in the bar, as I'm sure by now I'd be getting the 'WTF' look from everyone in the bar.  
Not that I would give a damn, mind you.

"...Any reason you're laughing like it's gone out of style?" I ceased my laughter with a slight grin.

"...You have no idea how much of an understatement that was..." I began to chuckle in amusement, and it wasn't long before the joker-bat joined in.

"...Heh...leave it to Rouge to find a way to cheer me up..." I said to myself, as the unfamiliar sensation of a very slight smile, once again found it's way to my usually baron expression.

I carried a 12-pack of the cans that had done so much for me these past few days, as I continued my trek down the damp and wet footpath.

The moon was shrouded by terribly grey clouds, making the night air feel even more ominous.

"Hm...who knew that being a temporary member of Team Dark would bring such an awesome perk..." I was referring, of course, to the ability of showing up and getting piss-brain'd drunk, free of charge at The Bat's Den.  
God knows that it was exactly what I needed at that time...

It had been a little over four days after I accepted the month long contract that Shadow and Omega had offered me.

The contract consisted of a temporary 'Partnership' between Shadow, Rouge, Omega and I.

It basically said that I was to cover for Rouge a few weeks, while she overlooked The Bat's Den (She was co-owner, by the way), over the course of December.  
She had always said that 'The Bat's Den + Christmas x a Smexy, Bat waitress (Herself) = $$$.

Needless to say, I accepted immediately when I heard about the special 'perk' that Team Dark members had when it came to a certain bar.

"Hah...No wonder Shadow enjoyed being apart of Team Dark..." I silenced immediately when my thoughts landed on a certain red'n'black rival of mine.

Shadow...

As much as I didn't want to admit it, without Shadow, I'd have never broken out of the mopey state of mind that I was in a short week ago.

Shadow was looking out for me back then...

Why...? Well I wonder the same sometimes as well.

Perhaps he felt...pity for me...?  
Maybe seeing me in such a crappy state, pissed him off.

Hm. I wouldn't be surprised if he was angry that _he_ wasn't the cause of it.

Meh...It _kind of_ sounded like him.

Either way, his sympathetic support has propelled me upwards in terms of my mental condition.

I was eternally grateful, and I'd developed a new kind of respect for my former enemy.

...A kind of respect that can only be formed through similar experiences between Martyrs...

I sighed as the cold night air, began to pierce the thin fabric of the long sleeved T-shirt that I was wearing, combined with the poorly made track pants that I was wearing.

I still didn't know why I always dressed like a bum.

It was Probably because of my rather...underground-ish past, that I couldn't stand dressing fancily, (Or dressing well, for that matter).

Anyways, it was cold, and I wanted to be inside as soon as possible.

So without further interruptions, I sped forward at the speed of sound, rapidly dashing down the void streets of Station Square.

* * *

I mumbled something about carrying a key chain, as I fumbled around in my pocket for the lone key that opened the old school lock on my old school door, that led into my old school flat.

And by old school, I mean old and run down.

Finally, I'd grasped a cold, metal object and thoughtlessly withdrew my hand from my pockets to jam said object in the keyhole.

After a firm twist to the right, the rather potent wind pushed the door open ever so slightly, letting a cool breeze blow into the already freezing home.

I sighed tiredly and yawned loudly, as I stumbled into the slightly dilapidated building.

I carried the 12-pack of beer and lazily dropped it upon the beige colored sofa that I'd taken naps in every once in a while.

With a loud sigh of relief, I plopped down just as sluggishly to the side of the box, taking up the black remote that sat on the arm rest of the seat.

My relaxation time was cut short, however, by the loud _BRRRRRRIIIIIIIING!_ of the wall phone to my right.

I grunted in annoyance.

"Who the hell rings at this time of night...?" I grumbled grumpily, before I got up, and out of the sofa to pick it up.

"_Hello?_" I mumbled into the phone.

"_...Sonic..._" I heard an _all_ too familiar voice, and I immediately began to scowl in disdain as I recognized the voice.

"_Silver...what do you want...?_" I asked with distaste, the scowl still present upon my face.

"_...Tomorrow morning, 9:30 AM, at the local coffee shop a few blocks down from the apartment buildings. Be there_" Was all I heard as a 'Click' had ended his brief statement rather abruptly.

I almost couldn't believe what I'd just heard. Gritting my teeth, I went into the kitchen, furiously ripping my freezer's door open carelessly.

_'Who the hell does he think he is...?'_ I thought angrily, popping the seal on an ice cold, blue can.

_'...Hah...That's right...he's the boyfriend of the woman that I practically worship..., How could I forget?'_ I laughed bitterly, before swallowing a large mouthful of the bitter liquid.

I quickly downed the can of alcohol, before I sluggishly walked over to the front door and slammed it shut.

Anger was evident by my posture, attitude, and even more by my thoughts.

"...Why I continue to put myself through this _Hell_ is beyond my imagination..." I whispered, before I lazily crashed down onto a middle classed, single file, bed.

I closed my eyes, eager to lose myself in blissful dreams about realities that would never be realized.

Sleep was rapidly approaching, but before I finally drifted off, a four year old image from my memory had etched itself into my half awake mind.

...It was an image of Silver, Blaze, and I, standing together in front of a vast meadow...Not a single shred of negativity was found in our expressions.

...That was back when life wasn't so damn complicated...Back when I could call Silver a friend...Back when I'd still had a shot at Blaze's affections...

_'Please just...Take me back...back to better...days...'_ Was the last thing that went through my mind, as I was engulfed by black.

* * *

The Princess, The Time Traveler, And The Martyr

Part 5

"A Martyr's Understanding"

* * *

_P.O.V Switch : 3rd Person_

* * *

A purple feline, clad in a white gown, arose from her slumber.

She raised both of her un-gloved hands to her heavy eyelids, and began to rub the leftover sleep from them.

Slowly, she pushed herself from her classy, king sized bed, yawning quietly as she did so.

"...Auugghhh..." She stretched her arms and legs out fully, smiling blissfully.

"...Princess?. Are you awake?" She heard a familiar, soft spoken voice.

"Mmm...Yes...I'm awake now, Gardon" She spoke back to her longtime servant, bodyguard, and friend.

The Koala poked his head through the small gap between door, and doorframe.

"Do you want me to prepare breakfast?" He asked formally, to an albeit drowsy feline.

"Yes thank you, and can I please have extra sauce on the fish?" She bowed politely, as the Koala rushed off to fulfill her highness's requests.

Blaze sighed in content, watching Gardon's shadow disappear from her view

_'...I...think I'll relax today...'_

* * *

_*With Sonic*_

* * *

In another dimension, in another place, a blue hedgehog wearing black jeans, and a longsleeved denim jacket with a white singlet underneath that, was jogging freely at a rather intense speed down a maintained footpath.

Sonic got occasional glances from people who knew him, but that was about it.

He'd stopped receiving huge reception and attention from people, since Dr. Robotnik had "Disappeared" a few years ago, after the Time Eater incident was resolved.

Sonic approved of this as he got older.

The attention was truly a headache for the Blue Blur, ever since he'd turned 16.

_'Hah...I always wondered what living a normal life was like...Not that mine is exactly "Normal"...'_ He thought with unprovoked bitterness, speeding through the peaceful streets.

_'...Tch'_ Sonic sighed audibly, his thoughts coming to a halt, as he did the same in front of an open, low profile, breakfast cafe that sat on the edge of the street block that it was in.

Sonic saw that there was a few outdoor tables, just outside of the cafe's entrance. Large umbrellas shielded these open tables from the rays of sunlight.

He found that his docile gaze, soon morphed into an almost hostile glare.

Sitting at the left most table, was a sad, white hedgehog, that was on the receiving end of the intense glare.

Silver sighed, and beckoned Sonic over to the seat opposite of him.

Reluctantly, the Blue Blur made his way over to Silver's table, and plopped himself down without a single sound.

* * *

*With Blaze*

* * *

_'...Why can't I stop thinking about...him...?'_ Thought a very conflicted Blaze, as she quietly chewed on her food, gently toying with the fish using her fork.

All previous happiness and positivity had faded from earlier, as the feline sat on a delicately crafted, sizable table in a room that overlooked the horizon via balcony.

She'd been confused when it came to her own emotions over the past few weeks. Her confusion spawned from recent thoughts of a certain blue hedgehog.

The strange thoughts of said hedgehog were born from their confrontation a week ago. This same event had also left the feline feeling guilty for the Blue Blur.

Blaze had felt the pain and misery behind every word that the hero had spoken.

_"...You pretended that I didn't even exist..."_

Her heart ached a little when she heard these words.

_'...He'd said that he had feelings for me for years...'_ A pained expression had made itself present on the princess's face.

She placed her fork down, beside her plate in a grim fashion. She glanced up at the walls for a moment, and took note of how many pictures there were of Silver and herself.

_'There's none of Sonic and I...'_ She noted, her sadness resonating through the water beginning to form in her eyes.

She'd returned to lightly picking at her meal, heavy thoughts clouding her mind.

_'Am I truly THAT ignorant?'_ She'd found the term 'Ignorance Is Bliss' to be quite fitting for this situation.

Blaze had recalled the drastic change in personality that Sonic had taken, since she'd last seen him.

_'He used to be so upbeat...as if nothing could've kept him down...'_ A nostalgic smile appeared on her face.

_'...But the person that I spoke to a week ago, was like a...a reverse image of the hero that he once was...'_ The nostalgia was replaced by guilt.

_'...He was...broken..., a mere remnant of the kind and gentle hero that I once knew...'_ Images of Sonic, old and new, had flickered through the most sensitive parts of her mind.

_'...And I...am the cause of this misery...this sorrow...this...pain'_ Blaze shut her eyes tightly in an attempt to snub out her own conflicting emotions.

Much to her dismay, it was a lost cause.

_'...And Silver...What would he think of this situation...?'_ She turned her thoughts to her current boyfriend, Silver The Hedgehog.

Lately, she'd begun to question whether her heart _truly_ desired him anymore.

_'...Back then...I'd have been able to answer without hesitation...But now...'_ Another wave of guilt washed over the solemn feline.

She absently reminisced on all of the joyful times that she had with him.

_'...Whenever I was sad or down...He would always be there to put a smile on my face...'_ She remembered with a shine in her eyes.

_'...So why am I so conflicted?, it should be a no-brainer...so...why...?'_ Anger began to boil within Blaze.

Anger at herself for this torturous confusion. Anger at her own mind for toying with her delicate heart. Anger at Sonic and Silver for making her feel so guilty.

_'...I can't stand this...I've got to put a stop this...and find out why I feel like I do...'_ She stood up, abruptly forgetting about her half eaten breakfast.

"GARDON!" She called in a frantic voice.

"Yes Princess?!, is there something wrong?" The same grey koala from before, had entered the room with a panicked expression on his face.

"I'm going out" She stated, a determined gleam in her golden irises.

"Oh...Are you going to be visiting Sir Silver?".

"...No...I'm going to go see another one of my fr-" She paused. "Acquaintances"

"Ah...Well, if you see Sir Silver, tell him that I said hello" The koala bowed politely, and took his leave.

Blaze nodded, a sad smile on her face.

_'...Mending our friendships with each other will not be easy...but, as a former friend once taught me...for friends...one must be able to sacrifice everything...'_

* * *

_*With Sonic & Silver*_

* * *

For a few moments, there was an intense silence between the former friends.

Steely, bright green eyes dueled with vibrant, regretful amber ones.

Silver found himself sweating under the heavy glare of the Martyr. He was lucky, however, as just then, a waitress wearing a cheerful smile entered the gloomy atmosphere that Sonic and himself were producing.

"...Would you gentlemen like to order something?" She asked, her bubbly tone indicated that she was completely oblivious to the situation.

"...I'll have an iced coffee" Sonic stated simply, his glare didn't falter one bit.

"I...uh, can I get 4 pancakes with maple syrup?" Silver nearly choked out.

The lady blinked twice, then nodded with a smile, before she left the two silent Hedgehog's in silence.

The glaring contest had seemingly resumed, neither Hedgehog had wanted to say anything to the other.

After another minute of this awkward silence, Sonic wordlessly stood up and turned to leave.

"...If I'd known that you just wanted to have a staring contest, I wouldn't have come" The blue Hedgehog scoffed, and began to walk away.

"Wait!"

Sonic turned back to SIlver, an annoyed expression greeting Silver's nervous eyes.

"What?"

"I...called to talk about..."

"About what?!"

"About Blaze"

This silenced, and regained Sonic's attention, as he calmly returned to his seat.

* * *

i*With Blaze*/i

* * *

In almost no time at all, a certain feline was already on her way to a parallel dimension to her own.

She'd found that while dimension jumping, it was in one's best interests to close their eyes, as even the slightest peek while in the middle of time and space lead to nausea, or headaches.

A smile played on her lips, as she recalled a time when Sonic had done just that.

Needless to say, she and Silver were gut laughing at the poor hero in no time flat, much to his dismay.

_'...I miss those days...'_ She sighed sadly, as she knew that things would never go back to the way they were.

Her reminiscing was cut short by her arrival to the new dimension.

She was thrown forward, out of the portal. Luckily, she was expecting this, and she expertly landed gracefully upon her feet.

She glanced around the living room of Silver's apartment.

"...It was good of Tails to build the portal here...nice and convenient" She referred to the fox known as Tails. or "Miles Prower", as he'd built a link/portal within Silver's apartment. Making it a lot easier for Blaze and Silver to keep in contact.

"Hm...I guess Silver must be out somewhere...?" She said, examining the floor, and making a note that he'd cleaned up a little bit before he went out.

"Hmm...I think I know where he is too..." She smiled as she quickly left his apartment.

* * *

_*With Sonic & Silver*_

* * *

"...What is there to talk about?. She hates me. She likes you. Simple" Sonic spoke lightly, almost as if he was trying to convince himself that he didn't care anymore.

"...It's _not_ simple Sonic..." Silver countered quietly.

"Oh?, and why's that?" Sonic sounded almost amused.

"Because...I think that she might..."

"Might...?

"...Might secretly have feelings...for y-"

"BAHAHAHA!" Sonic let out an outburst of loud laughter, making a _large_ majority of the people around them, look at him as if he was a lunatic.

Silver himself was surprised as well, he wasn't expecting a reaction like this.

"What are you laughing for?"

"Heheh...Do you know how stupid you sound right now?" Sonic's laughter ceased, and all amusement had faded from his expression.

"W-Wha-"

"You're feeling _soooooooo guilty_..." Disdain was starting to form on the Hero's lips.

"...I don't know what you're talking abou-"

"So...you try to rectify your mistakes by getting the two people that you've wronged together. A.K.A, Blaze and I" Sonic was hitting close to home for Silver, and because of this, the white psychokinetic fell into silence.

"Life doesn't work like that you idiot...When you make a mistake, you're forced to live with it through every ounce of _pain_ and every drop of _blood_...until the very. Day. You. _DIE_!" Gritting teeth, and clenched fists followed this statement on both of their parts.

"...I...You..."

"I _know_, Silver"

Silver snapped his head up to look at Sonic in shock.

"H-How?"

"Tch...Amy _talks, _dude..." Sonic smirked hollowly, as the waitress from before had approached with their orders.

"Um...Here you go" She handed the cup of iced coffee to Sonic, and sat the plate of Pancakes in front of Silver.

Sonic took a sip from the cup and pulled out a few rings from his pocket.

"How much?"

"For the coffee?, 5" Sonic handed her the rings, then she turned her attention to a deathly silent Silver.

"...And 10 for the pancakes" Silver didn't reply for a moment, as if her voice was completely blocked out by the thoughts in his mind.

"...Oh! Right!, sorry" He apologized, quickly paying the woman, who bowed and left to serve other people.

"Heh..." Sonic sipped from the ice cold beverage.

"...Shadow was right..." Silver whispered, toying with his food.

"Huh?" Sonic tilted his head in wonder.

"...A week ago, Shadow confronted me about my..." He paused. "...Mistake..."

"He told me of how much our ignorance had hurt you...broken you..._changed you_"

"Also...he...made me realize something..." Silver began to swirl a little bit of the sticky syrup through his fingers.

"...And that is...?" Sonic took a large gulp from his coffee.

"That I...my feelings for Blaze...are false"

* * *

_*With Blaze*_

* * *

Blaze was running at a moderate pace, down the same road that lead to Silver's favorite breakfast shop.

_'Hm...I wonder how he's feeling right now?'_

Her mind was adorn with thoughts of Silver and Sonic, however, these thoughts ceased when she spotted two familiar hedgehogs across the street.

Silver was sitting down, and Sonic was standing up, an umbrella-covered table between them.

She ducked behind an alley wall, confusion and wonder clouding her brain.

"W-What is Sonic doing here...?" She whispered to herself, eager to find out just _why_ and _what_ they were talking about.

Luckily, her ears were much more enhanced than the average person. Allowing her to listen in on them.

So, patiently, Blaze sat there, and eagerly waited for an insight as to what was happening.

* * *

_*With Sonic & Silver*_

* * *

*Splash!*

Sonic had crushed the plastic cup of iced coffee between his gloved fingers, letting the contents splatter onto the concrete beneath them.

Silver flinched at the sight before him, Sonic was now standing and looking directly at his feet, remnants from the cup had flew up and wet his arm and abdomen.

"Hmph...I've got a severe need to _choke_ you...but I think I'll just settle for this" Without warning, Sonic leaped forward to furiously punch the psychokinetic in the jaw.

_*CRACK!*_

* * *

*Gasp*

Blaze's eyes widened as she witnessed her boyfriend get punched in the face.

_'What's going on!?'_

* * *

"Ack!" Silver let out as he fell out of his chair, clutching his mouth in pain.

The customers of the cafe had stopped to stare at Sonic in shock.

"If there's one thing that I absolutely _can't stand_...It's when someone like you toys with the emotions of someone I care about" Sonic stated, standing over Silver's fallen form.

* * *

"What...what does he mean?, who is he talking about?"

Blaze growled lightly in frustration

* * *

The hurt psychokinetic couldn't help but chuckle as he gingerly pushed himself back onto his feet.

"Heh...I guess I deserved tha-"

_*SMACK!*_

* * *

Blaze winced at the extra blow that Sonic delivered.

_'Just WHY is he so mad?_

* * *

"...Now I'm satisfied" Was all that Sonic said, before turning to walk in the direction of his favorite bar.

"Urgh..." Silver couldn't have said that he _expected_ that last hit, but in all honesty...he should have.

"Oh yeah...and Silver" Sonic turned back to face the downed hedgehog.

"Ugh...yeah?"

"I won't tell Blaze about your 'Mistake'"

* * *

Blaze couldn't believe what she heard.

_'He won't tell me what?'_

She nervously trembled, anxious to finding out what Sonic meant.

_'...Is Silver...hiding something from me...?'_

* * *

"W...Wait...what?, why?"

"Hm...let's just say that it's a...Martyr's understanding" These were the last words Silver heard, before the Blue Blur vanished.

* * *

Blaze saw Sonic run off, and without another word, she followed him.

* * *

Silver was on his feet, a few moments after Sonic had left. Strangely, he wasn't angry at all. He was more amused at what just happened than anything else.

_'Hah...So...I guess that saying about Karma is true then eh?'_ He let out a loud chuckle before wiping away a little of the blood, beginning to trickle from his sore mouth.

He found himself pondering on his current situation.

_'...Sonic sure has changed a lot...he's matured a whole lot as well...'_ He continued to ponder, not troubled by anything that just happened.

"Uhhh...Sir?" A nervous, and soft voice spoke.

"...Huh...?"

"...Are you...um...finished with your meal?"

Silver blinked, and then looked down at his pancakes, those of which he hadn't even touched.

"Oh uh...yeah" He spoke dizzily, making the nervous waitress nod, and then hurriedly re-enter the store.

"Heh..." Silver chuckled a bit.

"...Things will never be the same...huh?" He whispered, longing for all of the guilt and confusion to go away.

It didn't

* * *

Almost a mile into the city, was a disturbed Sonic.

He had slowed down to a moderate jog, once he felt that he was far enough away from the cafe.

_'...How dare he...!?, I've been seeking out her affection for years...and he just so casually says that his feelings are FALSE!?'_ Sonic thought, his teeth gritting in fury at the, seemingly, oblivious hedgehog known as Silver.

He slowed and slowed until he was just walking normally, his distress too extreme for him to bother running anymore.

_'...All of my anger and pain could've easily been avoided...if I didn't have these...emotions'_ He slammed his fist into a brick wall beside him.

"...Why...?" He whispered.

"I find that I ask myself the same question very often..." Sonic's eyes widened in shock at the voice that he had heard from behind him.

Slowly, he turned around to meet eyes with the same that he adored and loved with all of his heart.

"...Blaze..."

"...Sonic..."

* * *

Pt. 5 End


End file.
